Improvement in locks



' ber of openings will effect no further change UNITED STATES PATENT OE ICE.

D. \V. G. HUMPHREY, OF GRAY, MAINE.

IMPROVEMENT IN LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 13,753, dated November 6, 1855.

lb a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

lZe it known that I, D. XV. G. HUMPHREY, of the town of Gray and county of Cumberland, in the State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Improvement on a Lock for jIost-Oiiice Boxes, the title of which is the Trap-Lock and Indicator.

The use of the indicator is to show to the holder of a box how many times his box shall have been opened from a fixed period. It is regulated at certain appointed times-say once daily. The postmaster controls the regulators and they are so arranged that any number of boxes in onebody can be regulated in a moments time. It will correctly indicate the number of times the box shall have been unlocked, whether by false keys or otherwise. Ilence its advantages over other locks, which may be unlocked many times and the-holder of the box be entirely ignorant of it. The use of the trap is to entrap all false keys which are not well fitted to the internal construction or wards of the lock, and at the same time serves as an operator of an alarm, as will be explained; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawings, makinga part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box with the door open. The numeral 1, which appears upon the inside of the door at the aperture e, indicates that the door has been once opened since the numerical wheel or indicator A, Figs. 2 and 3, was regulated. At the next opening the numeral 2 will appear at the aperture c, and thus each successive opening will be truthfully indicatedv by the numeral at the said aperture until all thenumerals of the indicator are exhausted, after which any numin the position of the indicator until it is again regulated. It should be constructed with numerals enough to indicate all the necessary openings for a day. It turns on pivot i, Fig. 2, and is moved forward one number at each unlocking or opening by the sliding of bolt C, which drives forward the lever D, which turns on pivot x and operates the indicator at the point n. The bolt C is connected with lever D at the point .2 by means of pin through lever which rests in slot in bolt at said point of connection The indicator A is held forward, as driven by lever D, by means ofcatch F, which turns on pivot 7t and is forced against indicator by coil-spring around pivot k. In the locking the lever D is forced back with the bolt 0 bending in joint of lever at the point D to pass under teeth of indicator, and then is straightened back by spring u. The indicator is driven around until the long space between the teeth rests at the point 71, when the bolt C can slide back and forth any number of times without effecting any further change in the position of the indicator until it is regulated.

H is a stump, against which the long tooth r of indicator rests when it (the indicator) is regulated. The slide G is connected with the lever T, Fig. 1, at the point (1, which lever, being raised at the point v] and turning on screw at point e, depresses the slide G, Fig. 2, which slide depresses arm of catch F, forcing the catch back clear from teeth of indicator and the indicator is forced back to its starting-point by means of coil-spring within it at B, when the long tooth. r rests upon the stump H.

The indicators for any number of boxes in one body are connected by their levers T, Fig. 1, at the points y vertically by rods or wires and horizontally by having these rods or wires connected to a shaft, which, being turned to depress the levers at point y and then turned back to raise the levers to their resting-place, all are regulated in a moments time.

N, Fig. 2, is a pivot on which the key turns to slide the bolt 0. The catch M is raised from notch of the bolt 0 by slide L under said catch by turning of the key.

B is a circular movable ward-plate, which may turn on pivot N, its center, when the key is not fitted to the construction of the wards g, which are placed on either side of the entrance of the key. The ward-plate is pre vented from turning too easilyby theleverE, one end of which rests in the rounding notch of plate at s and is pressed into the notch by the coil-spring around pivot at the point V, on which the lever turns. The other end of lever E protrudes through the aperture at a, Fig. 1, on inside of door. The key enters between the wards g, andif itis not fitted to the wards the ward-plate easily turns and the end of lever E catches into the notches t on the under side of plate and prevents its being turned back. Consemiently the key cannot be turned back or Withdrawn until the Wardplate B is released by raising the end of lever at a, on inside of door, Fig. 1. W hen the Ward-plate is tn rned by any key not fitted to the wards, the projections on either side of the plate turn into the notches in the bolt C at the points P, thus barring the bolt against being moved until the plateis released, as before described.

The end of the lever E, Fig. .2, at the aperture a, Fig, 1, when the door of boX is closed shuts into a notch connected to a vertical wire running through tier of boxes at the point J. This Wire is connected to an alarm and is operated when a key is entrapped in the look by the vibration of the end of lever E at the point a resting in the notch of wire at J.

Fig. 4 is a plate containing the key-hole, which is to be riveted onto the stumps h over the Ward-plate, Fig. 2.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure bv Letters Patent. is

The indicatorA, movable Ward-plate B, and lever E, arranged and operating in the manner herein set forth.

D. XV. G. IIUMPHRE'Y. \Vitnesses:

DANIEL HALL, JACOB CLARK. 

